Pipe wrench



Dec. 6, 1927.

W. L. BESSOLO PIPE WRENCH 2 SheetS-Sheet l Filed July 1923 ld J I soPatented Dec. 6, 1927.

UNITED STATES 6 1,551,575 PATENT c erics.

. L. BESSOLO, F OLEABWATER, CALIFORNIA. V

PIPE wnnno rr;

Ap lication med July This invention relatesto' a" wrench for pipes,tubings, etc, and itis an object of the invention to-provide' an.effective, convenient and reliable tool of this character.

It is a general object of this invention to provide an improved,effective and convenient means for releasably setting a wrench of the:chaintype in eperatingzposition ona 'pipe'or the like.

It is another object. of this invention to provide a wrench which willeffectively-engageand grip completelyaround a pipe or the like, so thatit will. not slip and will not injure the pipe.

-Th'e various objects and features of my invention will-behest andmore'fully understood from the following detailed description of atypical preferred formof the invention, throughout which descriptionreference is had to the accompanying drawings, in which: J

Fig. 1 view'showing my improved wrench arranged. on a pipe ready to beset in operating; position; 7

.Fig. 2 is a View similar to Fig. 1, showingoneof the side plates insection, and showing the tool set in operating position on the pipe;

Fig; 3 is an enlarged detail sectional view,

so taken as indicated by the line 3--3 on Fig. 2; Fig. 4 isa' centralsection. View of the wrench, showing it setnready for operation; Fig. 5is an enlarged detail sectional view, taken as indicatedby the-line 55on Fig; 1; m

Fig, 6is an enlarged detail sectional view, taken as indicated by, theline 6-6 on Fig.1; I f. Fig. 7 is an enlarged side elevation ofa portionof the handle, showing the safety catch in operation; and

. .Fig. 8' is a detailed transverse sectional view, takenas indicated bythe line 8+8 on 'Thewrench eludes, generally, a lever -1-O,'aflexiblejaw 11', means 12; permanently connecting the inner lend of'theflexible jaw 'll'wi h the"v lever 10, means 13' forreleasablyfloperatively connecting the outer'end ofthe-flexible jaw. 14operable 11 with theleverlO, and means to set the means-13.

The lever 10, in its preferred fOIH1,-,,i11-

cludes a handle 15, and head. 16 at the inner, endofthe handle The head16 is preferably flat; and in the. form of an en- 1 provided by this.invention in- 1923. Serial no. 650,273.

largemen-t a-tthe inner end. oft-he handle 15. .The. flexible jaw 11 maybe-in the; form of! a chain, including links 17, connected by pint-1epins 118. The present invention is, of course, net concerned with thedetailsof the former-construction of thefl'exible. jaw 11-, it beingimportant-only for it to have the: desired gripping action and that itbe sufiiciently flexible tooperate as hereinafter described; It isdesirable to design. andconstreetthe jaw 11. so that it. will conformclosely to a pipe or the like, and that; it be strong and durable. Theinner side of the chain maybe roughened, or otherwise constructed, sothat it is effective in gripping a pipe orthe like. p 1 r The means 12,which connects the inner 5 end of; the flexible jaw llwith the head 16,includes two check or side plates 19 arranged at opposite sides of thehead 16 and providedwith parts 201 which project from the head.Theplates 19. are connected to the head by a pivot pin 22. The links 17,at the inner end of the flexible jaw ll, are arranged between the parts20 and are connected with the parts 20 by apivot pin 21. The means 13,for connecting the outerw 'j' end of the flexible jaw 11 with the head16, includesan arc-,uate-toothed jaw 23 connected to the outer end of,the chain by a pivot pinv 2. 1, a series of teeth 25 provided ontheouter part ofth head 16 to cooperate with. the'teeth of the jaw. 23, andmeans for open ating the head, 16 to put the teethv 25 into co- Voperative engagement withthe teeth of-the jaw. Thejaw 23, which ispractically apart The teeth26, at, the outer'edge of thejaw 28,

have faces 27-which face inwardly or towa'rd the flexible jaw 11. Theteeth 25 on the outer part of the'head 16, have faces 28 adaptedtocooperatively engagethe faces 27 V of the teeth 26. V r

The means 1 1' provided by my present: invention for putting the teeth25 and 26 into cooperative engagement, includes, generally, cam meansat'or in combination with the connection between the head and the side"plates operable to shift the head relative to the side plates, and meansfor releasabIylOck ing the. cam means in its actuated. position. In the:particular" form of the invention (ill 32 may he in the form of a smalllever illustrated in the drawings the means 1st includes a earn 30mounted on the pin 22 to operate in an opening 31 in the head 16, and anoperating handle 32 in connection with the pin 22 whereby the pin can herotated to actuate the cam. The cam shown in the drawings is in the formofa round disk mounted echentrieally on the pin while the opening 31inthe head is also round and mounted on one end of the pin at the outerside of one of the side plates 12). i The handle may be secured or fixedon the pin 92 by a suitable key 35, or the like. It is preferred tomount the handle 32 on thepin 22 so that it extends at suhstantiallyright angles to the handle when the head is in its i out or releasedposition and is substantially parallel withlhe handle 15 when the headis in its operating or in position. The cam and handle are related sothat the handle is swungf in the direction indicated by the arrow A inFig.1, to cause actuation of the head from the released position to theoperating position. i

For the purpose of locking the head in operative position a latch l0pivotally mounted onthe caln operating handle 32 to cooperate with thehandle 15. The latch 40 is arranged at the outer end of the handle 32andis carriedhy a pivot pin 41. The

inain part of the latch extends inwardly Iii to position where therecess 13. y

-Atgripping plate is provided at the projecting parts of the sideplatesso that under the handle of the lat-ch. the latch so that itprojects from the end of the handle 32 and has a downwardly projecting 1art 4:2 adaptc-rd to extend into recess 4:3 in the upper side of thehandle 15. A spring it is arranged between the handle 32 and the latchto normally yleldingly hold the latch down and shoulders 4-5 areprovidcdon the latch and handle so thatthey cooperateto limit thedownward movement A handle at) is provided on and is in position that itcauhe conveniently depressed when the handle 32 is gripped. The handlehas an inclined surface l7 at the recess etS to lift the latch as thehandle 32 hiring moved the part d-52 will drop into "thetool will gripas effectively at that point aslatotherpoints. The plate 50 extendshetween the projecting parts 20 of the side plates, its ends beingcarried in recesses 51 in. the projecting parts. In the forrn of theinvention illustrated .111 the drawings the plate 50 is connected withthe other parts of the tool by a lug provided on the plate so that itextends between the links 17 at the inner end of the flexible jaw and isheld hy the pivot pin :31. The face of the plate may be provided withteeth 55, orthelike,

so that it is ciiective in gripplng a pipe, or

the like. in practice i prefer to make the plate atlas large as possiblewithout lnter- :lering with the other parts. By providing i the plate 50thetool will grip practically uniformly around a pipe and Wlll have asmuch bearing or gripping surface at the projecting parts of the sideplates as at any otheripoint. i i

In applyingthetool toa piece; of work, for instance, a pipe 31the/flexible jaw 11 is arranged around the pipe and the *jaw;23 isarranged between the side plates 19-a11d the hcadlo and pipe P asfar asit will go.

Duringthe time that the jaw 23 is being arranged in place the handle 32is in the rition shown in Fig. 1 so thatthe head 16 .11 its releasedposition. To throw or set the tool in operating condition the handle;

3:3 is swung; in the direction indicated by the arrow it. so that (theside plates llland head in were relatively until the head is in its inposition with the teeth 25 at the outer part of the head 16 incooperative engageincnt \vrth the teeth .loion the 'jawi23,ras

illustrated in Fig. 2 oft-he drawings. Upon the parts reaching thispositionthe partAQ of the latch enters the recess 13 to automaticallycatch and lock the tool in the set position. To operate the tool thehandle 15 1S swung in the direction indicated by the arrow 13" Illli-ig. 1, so that the headlG swings or turns, causing the jaw 23 to hemoved or urged in the direction indicated by the an 1 row O in Fig". 1,therehycausing the fle2riblc jaw 11 to tightly grip the pipe P.

It urther movement of the lever will cause operation or turning of thepipe P; then pipe the latch released by depressing the handle at; andthe handleSQ is swungbaek to the position shown in Fig. 1, thus causingthe teeth to withdraw from the teetlrQG allowing the jaw 23 to bewithdrawn and the jaw ll opened. 1 From the foregoing descripiion oftheconstruction and scheme of operation of any improved wrench it willhe ohr'ious that it isertrernely simple, eilective and rel] able inoperation, that it will operate elli'cctively on work of variousisizes,and that it is siniple, practical and comparatively int-ltl'76115lt8 otconstruction.

Haring described only a typical preferred :torin or my invention I donot wish to limit n'iyself to the specific details hereinabove set torthbut wish to reserve to myself any it is desired to release the tool fromthe i arranged between the lever and object, and 5 cam means connectingthe other end of the jaw with the lever operable to shift the leverrelative to said first mentioned end of the jaw, the cam means havingsufficient throw to move the lever into'and out of c0operativeengagement with the first mentioned end of the jaw.

2. A wrench including, a lever, a flexible jaw adapted to be arrangedaround an object, one end of the jaw being adapted to be arrangedbetween the lever and object, a shiftable pivotal connection between theother end of thejaw and the lever whereby the lever is shiftablerelative to said'first mentioned end of the jaw, the cam means havingsufiicient throw to move the lever into and out of cooperativeengagementwith the first mentioned end of the jaw. and operating means for theconnection,

3. A wrench includin a lever, a flexible jaw adapted to be arrangedaround an ob- 'ject, a shiftable connection between one end of the jawand the lever whereby the lever is shiftable relative to said end of thejaw to move into and out of cooperative engagement with the other end ofthe jaw, and releasable means for automatically locking the lever inposition to cooperate with said other end of the jaw upon its beingmoved thereto.

l. A Wrench including, a flexible jaw adapted to be arranged around anobject, a plurality of teeth at the outer end of the aw, a'lever havinga part adapted to cooperatively engage the teeth, and single meansconnecting the inner end of the jaw with the lever so that it can swingrelative to the lever and so that the lever is shiftable relative to it.to move said part into and out of cooperative engagement with theteeth.

5. A wrench including, a flexible element,

a jaw at the outer end of the flexible element, teeth on the jaw, alever havingteeth at its inner end, and means pivotally shiftablyconnecting the inner end of the flexible element with the lever so thatthe lever is shiitable relative to the inner end of the element to movethe teeth on the lever into and out of cooperative engagement with theteeth of the aw. v I

6. A wrench including, a lever having teeth at its inner end, a chainadapted to'be arranged around an object, a platecbnnecting the inner endof the chain with the lever, a toothed jaw at the outer end of the chainadapted to extend between the object and the inner end of the lever,means at the connection between the plate and lever operable to move thelever relative to the plate so that the teeth on the lever cooperativelyengage the teeth on the jaw, and an operating lever attached to saidmeans.

7. A wrench including, a lever having teeth at its inner end, a chainadapted to be arranged around. an object, a plate connecting the innerend of the chain with the lever, a toothed jaw at the outer end of thechain adapted to extend between the object and the inner end ofthelever, means at the connection between the plate and lever operableto move the lever relative to the plate so that the teeth on the levercooperatively engage the teeth on thejaw, an operating lever for saidmeans, and a manually releasable catch in connection with the operatinglever operable to automatically lock the operating lever in positionwit-h the teeth in cooperative engage nent.

.8. A wrench including, a lever, a flexible jaw adapted to be arrangedaround an obj set, a connection between one end of the jaw and the leverwhereby the lever is shiftable relative to said end of the jaw intocooperative engagement with the other end of the jaw, an operatinghandle operable to shift the lever, and means for automaticallylockingthe lever in position to cooperate with said. other end or" thejaw upon its being if mowed thereto including, a sp'ring'latch connected with the handle to cooperate with the lever to prevent movementof the handle.

9. A wrench including a flexible aw, two parts, one a lever adapted tocooperatively engage the outer end of the jaw the other a plateconnected with the inner end of the jaw, a pin extending through thelever and plate to connect them, a cam on the pin cooperatively engagingone of the parts to cause shifting of the parts upon rotation of thepin, and an operating lever on the pin. i

. 10. A wrench including, a flexible jaw, a lever having an openingthrough it at its inner end, a plateconnected with the inner end of thejaw, a part at the inner end of the lever adapted to cooperativelyengage the outer end of the vjaw, a pin extending through the plate andlever to connect them, a cam on the pin and arranged in said opening sothat it causes shifting of the lever relative to the plate when the pinis rotated, and an operating handle for the pin.

In witness that I claim the foregoing ;I have hereunto subscribed myname this 29th day of June, 1923. r

WILLIAMVL. B'nssoLo.

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